Nonlinear effects in microwave photoconductivity of two-dimensional electron systems

V. Ryzhii, R. Suris

Published 2003-07-10, updated 2003-07-18Version 2

We present a model for microwave photoconductivity of two-dimensional electron systems in a magnetic field which describes the effects of strong microwave and steady-state electric fields. Using this model, we derive an analytical formula for the photoconductivity associated with photon- and multi-photon-assisted impurity scattering as a function of the frequency and power of microwave radiation. According to the developed model, the microwave conductivity is an oscillatory function of the frequency of microwave radiation and the cyclotron frequency which turns zero at the cyclotron resonance and its harmonics. It exhibits maxima and minima (with absolute negative conductivity) at the microwave frequencies somewhat different from the resonant frequencies. The calculated power dependence of the amplitude of the microwave photoconductivity oscillations exhibits pronounced sublinear behavior similar to a logarithmic function. The height of the microwave photoconductivity maxima and the depth of its minima are nonmonotonic functions of the electric field. It is pointed to the possibility of a strong widening of the maxima and minima due to a strong sensitivity of their parameters on the electric field and the presence of strong long-range electric-field fluctuations. The obtained dependences are consistent with the results of the experimental observations.